La Quintana, Loja

Menu del día: No
Closed: Sundays
We like: Pimientos Rebozados, Pulpo a la Gallega
Value for €: *****

If only there were more bars like this in Andalucia! When you find one, its really worth remembering where it is...

La Quintana is situated unobtrusively on a corner near some steps and not far from the town hall (Palacio de Narvaez) in Loja's old town. What makes it special is that it offers a menu of tapas on the wall - a selection of the day - for you to choose from. When you order a drink, Emilio will serve it, tilt a jaw almost imperceptibility towards the wall menu and say, "tapa?".

If you come face to face with Juan (Emilio´s father who loves dogs, who will wave you in if you hesitate in the entrance with your panting mutt), he may not say anything at all, being a rather silent sort of fellow and just look on with his sad eyes and await your decision before shuffling away to the kitchen to order it.

So as you enter this very maroon and yellow bar remember to scan the wall for the menu and note down a few veggie options, pimientos rebozados is one of our favourites as well as pulpo a la gallega or berenjenas fritas con huevo de codorniz (see photo).

And whilst supping and munching, take a look at the old photos on the wall of past eras in the towns history. If you stroll over to where the loo´s are, you will see an old photo above the door on the right of the original Quintana bar that once existede further down the road,when Emilio was just a twinkling in the eye of his father.

Oh, and if you should arrive early in the morning, Emilio does one of the best tostada con tomate we have ever had in any bar in any part of Spain. The secret? Maybe its the application of his specially garlicky oil before the tomato but this is just my guess as its difficult to see when he has his back to you, and Emilio has a rather large back.

La Quintana also has a selection of food gifts for the folks back home - choose from a variety of wines, preserves such as jars of lucious peaches or tuna steaks in almond sauce (ventresca de atún en salsa de almendras) as well as local olives and honey.

Cafe Bar Quintana
Carrera de San Agustín, 14
18300 Loja
Tel: 958 32 11 38

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La Madera, Otívar

Menu del día 8€
Closed: When?
Specialities:
Value for €: ****

Perched on the green slopes of Otivar, behind Almuñécar and deep into the tropical valley of avocados, custard apples and mangos, lies this modest bar that proclaims little but delivers a lot.

If you are heading up the Suspiro del Moro (the old Granada road from the coast at Almuñécar) you will likely have been advised to stop off in Otívar at the restaurant at the end of the village: El Capricho - famous for its chicken and apple dish. Fortunately for the no-carnivorous amongst us there exists a great veggie-friendly alternative at the entrance to the village: Mesón Bar La Madera is a friendly, family business run by brothers Antonio and Vicente Zamora.

La Madera has a capacious dining room with panoramic views of the lush Valle Tropical, (roaring chimney in winter) as well as a lovely summer roof-terrace with a barbecue (more spectacular views) and a cosy bar for a pre-meal drink and tapa or after-dinner coffee.

La Madera is always accommodating when it comes to providing non-meat alternatives to their standard dishes - even the ones on the set menu del día. (Very few restaurants will be flexible on this as a set menu, they say quite rightly, is limited to what’s on it that day.) La Madera is so used to dealing with non-meat eaters that they include quite an extensive range of suitable options on their a la carte menu.
The quality of the food is generally quite high particularly on the a la carte menu and the menu del día is usually very good value. Sometimes its difficult to know whether you are being given a free tapa or yet another course from the menu, but you are unlikely to ever leave feeling hungry.

The desserts are varied and mostly home-made (ask for postres caseros) and quite delicious.

Mesón Bar Madera (”Acá Vicente Zamora”)
C/Cuevas, 16
18698 OTÍVAR
Tlfno y Reservas: 958 645 063

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Jesus y Lute

It won't be for the views that take you to this bar, rather the cabbage. Specifically the white cabbage salad in a speciality sauce…

On the coast it is not unusual to find bars with more seating outside than in. This is the case with Jesus Y Lute, situated half way down the rather uninspiring Avenida Europa in Almuñécar, where the large and pleasant covered terrace is frequented all year round by Spaniards and foreigners alike.

There are always plenty of fish dishes available here and frequently given free with your drink.

As a breakfast bar, its prices are reasonable, the coffee is large and hot and the toast unburnt.

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